TWO VARIANTS OF UNCLASSIFIED COMPARISON OF SOVIET UNION AND THE US IN THE TOP TWENTY TECHNOLOGIES.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89G00720R000600730018-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 2011
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: November 4, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/18: CIA-RDP89GO072OR000600730018-6
I MEMORANDUM FOR: I
Two variants of unclassified comparison
of Soviet Union and the US in the "top
twenty technologies." Released annually
by the DDR&E. Based on intell caanunity
inputs.
There is an inportant message here: the
Soviets do not seen to be able to carpete
with the US in the ability to support a
program to develop a space-based BND. It
takes more than just directed energy and
power sources to make a weapon system. It
is particularly significant that the
Soviets are in such arears in the computer
and sensors arenas...
'C-4 NOV 1985
FORM IAI USE PREVIOUS
Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/18: CIA-RDP89GO072OR000600730018-6
 Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/18: CIA-RDP89GO072OR000600730018-6
l!a sh ; ngt
this chart, adapted from a Defense Department report, shows relative U.S: and
Soviet standing in 20 areas of technology chosen by the Pentagon as a valid base for
comparing overall U.S. and Soviet technological standing. These technologies are all
.1 Oil the shelf" and available for application, but the list is not intended to compare
technology levels in currently deployed military systems.
The arrows indicate that the relative technology level is changing in the direction {
indicated-either toward greater equality between the United States and the Soviet
Union or, in one case, toward greater U.S. superiority in the field.
The report cautions ti:at these comparisons depict overall average standing only,
not relative standing in subcategories of a given technology.
_ - 1
U.S.
U.S./U.S.S.R.
r
U.S.S.R.
Basic Technologies ?`
Superior
Equal
Superior
Aerodynamics/Fluid Dynamics
C r
Computers and Software
Conventional Warheads (including all
chemical explosives) r
I
Directed Energy (laser) I
_
~!
Electro?Opticai Sensor (including infrared)
Guidance and Navigation
life Sciences
I
(human factors/biotechnology) I
f
-
Materials
(lightweight, high strength/temperature)
I
I
.
Micro-Electronic Materials and Integrated
Circuit Manufacturing
Nuclear Warheads
Optics
Q
Power Sources
(mobile; includes energy storage)
Production/Manufacturing
(includes automated control)
Propulsion
(aerospace and ground vehicles)
Radar Sensor
Robotics and Machine Intelligence
r1
'
Signal Processing
`
r
Signature Reduction i
t
Submarine Detection
z"
f,v!ecommunicatlon5
('ncludes fiber optics)
.~
!
SOURCE: THE FY 1987 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Rf20GnA61 FOR RESEARCH AND DEVEION.rENT
i
n Post 2 Apr 26
Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/18: CIA-RDP89GO072OR000600730018-6
 Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/18: CIA-RDP89GO072OR000600730018-6
T E C H N O L O G Y C O M P A R I S O N S
T O P T Id E i N T Y T E C H N O L . O G I ES
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EQUALS
0 DIRECTED ENERGY
0 POWER SOURCES
0 FLUID DYNAMICS
SOVIET UNION
LEADS
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G0o DE
-NCH) O' 0 6 -C-S
0 CONVENTIONAL WARHEADS
0 NUCLEAR WARHEADS
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Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/18: CIA-RDP89GO072OR000600730018-6
UNITED STATES
LEADS
0 COMPUTERS/SOFTWARE
0 SIGNAL PROCESSING
0 RADAR SENSORS
0 E-O SENSORS
0 GUIDANCE/NAVIGATION
0 STEALTH
0 OPTICS
o MICRO-ELECTRONICS
0 TELECOMMUNICATIONS
0 SUBMARINE DETECTION
0 PROPULSION
0 MATERIALS
0 ROBOTICS
0 LIFE SCIENCES
0 PRODUCTION